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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bat — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com